Lose yourself in Deptford Market and you’ll see vintage wingbacks with cracked leather. They ain’t showroom clean, but that’s the charm

From Markets to Mansions: London’s Love for Vintage Sofas and Armchairs There’s something about vintage pieces that grabs me. When I was a kid my nan had this battered armchair. The arms were shiny from years of elbows, but it carried memories. During the heyday of Soho, you didn’t buy throwaway chairs. Chairs lived longer than flats. You can feel it when you sit down. I found a retro lounge chairs accent chair in a Dalston car boot. The legs were wobbling, but the weight told me it was the real deal.

It’s outlasted three flats and two relationships. Furniture in London shifts with the postcode. Hampstead stays calm, with velvet armchairs. Camden loves the clash, with industrial armchairs. The contrast keeps it alive. The catalogue stuff has no soul. Vintage finds last decades. They’re not perfect, unusual accent chairs but neither are we. At the end of the day, an old funky accent chair means more than new gloss. An armchair should hug you back.

Before you grab a soulless bargain, wander a street full of second-hand accent chair funky shops. Grab a vintage sofa, and let it grow with you.